CBSE mandates AI in schools

India’s Central Board of Secondary Education has told affiliated schools to introduce computational thinking and artificial intelligence for Classes 3 to 8 from the 2026-27 session. (cbse.gov.in) The board’s April 9, 2026 notification says the new curriculum is being rolled out “in line with” the National Education Policy 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education 2023. It also says schools will assign teachers to the subject and structure school training around it in 2026-27. (cbse.gov.in) The curriculum framework published by the Central Board of Secondary Education says the course is for Classes 3 through 8 and is meant to build step-by-step problem solving, pattern recognition, logical thinking, and “ethical use of AI.” The board has also posted student handbooks for at least Class 3 and Class 8 on its academic site. (cbseacademic.nic.in) In plain terms, computational thinking means breaking a problem into smaller parts, spotting patterns, and writing clear steps that a person or machine can follow. The Central Board of Secondary Education framework treats that as the base skill, with artificial intelligence introduced as one application built on top of it. (cbseacademic.nic.in) This did not start as a sudden 2026 policy shift. India’s National Education Policy 2020 said mathematics and computational thinking would get greater emphasis “throughout the school years,” and linked future jobs to skills in computer science, data science, and machine learning. (education.gov.in) The National Curriculum Framework for School Education 2023 then translated that direction into school design. It recommends adding areas such as design thinking, augmented reality, virtual reality, artificial intelligence, and computational thinking across the 5+3+3+4 structure for ages 3 to 18. (dsel.education.gov.in) The Ministry of Education signaled the move months earlier. In an October 30, 2025 press release, the Department of School Education and Literacy said artificial intelligence education should be treated as a “basic universal skill” and said a curriculum would be introduced from Class 3 onward across schools. (dsel.education.gov.in) The Central Board of Secondary Education is also pairing the rollout with teacher preparation. Separate district-level deliberation guidelines dated April 9, 2026 tell schools to use local training sessions to help teachers embed computational thinking and artificial intelligence across subjects and classroom practice. (cbse.gov.in) Artificial intelligence was already present higher up the school ladder. The board’s 2026-27 skill education curriculum includes an Artificial Intelligence subject code for Class 9, so the new Classes 3 to 8 framework extends that pathway into earlier grades. (cbseacademic.nic.in) What happens next is implementation inside thousands of affiliated schools: teacher assignment, training calendars, and classroom materials for students as young as Class 3. The policy decision is now official; the harder part is turning it into regular lessons in the 2026-27 school year. (cbse.gov.in)